-Delicate Petals-
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I opened my eyes and yawned. I blinked and felt something next to me. I looked down and smiled. Botan was fast asleep, not crying but looking peaceful. I don't know how long it's going to take her to get over Koenma. I hoped it wouldn't be too long for her sake.
"Isn't this cute?" I heard from the doorway.
"Shut up, Hiei." I grumbled, moving Botan slightly so that I could get up. "Koenma broke it off." He looked down at the diety.
"I figured it would happen sooner or later." He stated, giving me a look. I stared at him blankly. "What are you going to do?"
"Who knows? I figure that I'll comfort her until she gets over her loss." I shrugged and he followed me into the kitchen. I started a pot of coffee. I needed it right now. Tea wasn't strong enough.
"Then?" He sat down in the chair next to me. "You can't tell me you're over it." I didn't answer for a minute. No, I most certainly couldn't say that.
"I'm not." I felt his gaze as I stared at the table. "I don't know."
"You've been saying that a lot lately." He said, resting his arm on the table then putting his head in his hand.
"Yeah." I agreed. I didn't know the answers to the most important questions. It was frustrating. I looked at the clock. 8:54 AM. The breakup was a shock to her system. She needed to get everything back together. I sighed. Today was Saturday.
"You still have a lot to piece together, ne?" I looked up at him.
"Yeah."
"Will you stop saying that?" He was starting to get irritated. I frowned deeper. I looked over at the coffee pot and saw that it was done. I poured both Hiei and I a cup then got out the milk. I let him do his own, but he followed what I did. I took a sip and relished in the warm liquid sliding down my throat.
"What are you going to do today?" I asked, taking another sip. He shrugged and swallowed.
"Some individual training. I guess I could check up on Yukina later on." He said, looking down into his cup. I leaned back more fully in my chair until I heard gentle footsteps on the cold tile floor. I looked up and smiled at Botan.
"Good morning." I greeted her. She smiled slightly and I noticed that she was silently crying. I looked down into my cup and set it down. "Want some coffee?" She shook her head, sat down, and rested her head in her arms, her shoulders shaking. I looked over at Hiei and frowned.
'She is still upset. How long will this last?' He asked through the telepathic link. I shrugged and looked back over at her.
'I suppose it will last a few days. She was so happy before..' I took a drink then stood up. I needed to get dressed for the day. Botan looked up when she heard movement. I smiled down at her and rested my hand on her head.
"You can have a shower this morning, if you want." I said gently. She nodded and stood up. I glanced at Hiei and he nodded once. She followed me up the stairs and I figured that she would need some clothes. She was a bit bigger than Keiko so that was out of the question. I wandered into my room. She should've brought some clothes. I heard the door close downstairs and knew that Hiei left for his early morning training. This was going to be a long day.
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"Do you have any.. clothes I could wear for today?" Botan came into my room in just a towel and I stared at her, wide-eyed.
"H-Hai." I swallowed and walked past her, blushing slightly, to the bed. I showed her some of my smaller outfits. "It may be a little big. I don't think we're going anywhere today, are we?" She shrugged.
"If you don't have anywhere to go." I shook my head.
"We could take a walk over to the park." I went to the door. "Just call me if you need anything." She nodded and I closed the door. I went downstairs and flipped on the TV. I found out one thing. Absolutely nothing was on. She came back down and I noticed that she left her hair down. I gave her a curious look and blinked, tilting my head to the side.
"Do you have a hair brush?" I nodded and pointed to the other coffee table. I noticed that her hands were shaking and that what she wanted to put up was falling out of her hands. I went up behind her and took the things from her hands. I started brushing through her cerulean locks. They didn't have a single knot. I put her hair up and hugged her from behind.
"I'll help you get over it." I whispered softly. Tears were already running down her cheeks. She turned around and buried her head in my chest. She shook uncontrollably.
"Thank you.." I held her and didn't say a word. I stared into the mirror on the wall in front of us. Tears were starting to sting my emerald eyes. I realized that I didn't have a voice anymore. "I couldn't do it alone.."
"I know. That's why I'm here for you. You were there for me.. even after I was rude and cold to you." I felt hot tears running down the sides of my face. This situation made me cry, as well as the pain. How could Koenma break her heart that way? What the hell was wrong with him? I wanted to punch his lights out but violence wasn't going help right now.
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Botan is sleeping again. I was glad that she could rest easily. There wasn't a trace of hurt nor fear on her face so she wasn't having a nightmare. I wondered what was going to happen. It was only noon and I found out she hadn't slept well last night so she was tired. She had stopped crying for atleast an hour. I know one thing, though. I never want to see her in pain ever again. I'll make sure of that. Pain, such as hers, should not be a part of this world. Through this crisis, I have felt closer to her than I ever have before. She is depending on me to be there for her. I am there for her. I always will be, even if she does not love me. I looked down at her and kissed her forehead.
"Please do not let my feelings ruin our friendship." I whispered, leaving my room. She was asleep in my bed so.. I certainly couldn't stay up there.
One hour..
Two hours..
Three hours..
Has three hours passed yet? It seems like it. I've been staring at the TV Guide channel for what seems like hours. No wait.. Only a half-hour. Dammit. The music was driving me insane. I turned off the TV before I mess myself up anymore. The phone started ringing and I picked it up.
"Suuichi!" I heard my okaasan's cheerful voice through the phone. I smiled slightly.
"Hello, okaasan. How was the first night?" I asked, interested.
"It was great. This place is so beautiful. I'm going to buy tons of film so you can see it too. How are you? You sound bored."
"Well.. a lot has happened. Botan is here. Her boyfriend broke up with her so she's really upset. She's sleeping now." I said truthfully. I wasn't going to lie to her.
"Did she just show up today?"
"No, she came here four hours after you left."
"Really? Is she okay? The poor girl." She sounded upset. You have no idea, okaasan.
"I told her that I'll help her get over it. She cried today, as well." I knew that telling her would cause her to ask the question.
"You're such a sweet boy, Suuichi. Do you need me there?"
"No, okaasan. I shall be fine on my own. You needn't worry." I heard her sigh. "Just have fun on your trip."
"Okay. I'll call later to check on you two.. or are you going somewhere?"
"No, we'll be here. I may take her to the park and talk with her. If she is feeling up to it." I looked over at the door when it opened. Hiei came in, all frustrated. That was my favorite mood for him. He was always fun to argue with and get sarcastic remarks from.
"Is that Hiei that came home?" She liked Hiei. She told me before that he was cute and that he was a friend that I shouldn't let away.
"Yes, and he doesn't look like he had a good training day." I grinned at him and he glared at me.
"Well, I'll let you go. I'll talk to you later." We said good-bye and hung up. I watched as Hiei sat down on the opposite side of the couch.
"You look so happy. I think I might celebrate your happiness."
"Idiot."
"That wasn't very nice."
"And I care because?" I stared at him. I wanted to laugh but I didn't want to piss him off more.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Kuwabara and Yukina?"
"At the temple."
"Figures." He glared at me and I shot him a dirty look. "Well, you have to give her her own space. For crying out loud, she doesn't even know you're her brother!" He stared at me with this look.
"I can't tell her. I don't.."
"You're scared of her reaction, aren't you?" He didn't say anything. By the way he looked down, I knew it was the truth. "Listen, Hiei. Just think of how important she is to you. You want her in your life and you want to be in her life, correct? Well, I made the mistake of waiting too long. I don't want you to do that. Tell her." He looked up at me. My eyes widened. His eyes were glazed and watery. I smiled at him. "Don't be afraid of it. Just try."
"I will soon enough." He wouldn't look at me.
"If it's any help, try not to be so happy."
"Shut up." He picked up a pillow and threw it at me. "You annoy me too much for your own good."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were bad for my health." He scowled then started chasing me around the room. I started to laugh at him. Land mine.
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I sighed and watched as she walked down the stairs. Her amethyst eyes looked dim but she wasn't crying. That was a step toward improvement.
"You honestly believe this thing is entertaining?" I turned my head and saw that he was playing with the TV remote. He was flicking through channels and looking disgusted. "This is.. so.." He made a face and didn't continue. I snatched the remote from him and turned the TV off.
"You shouldn't be watching things like that, Hiei." I snickered. "You aren't old enough." He glared at me. Botan had gotten to the living room by then. I smiled at her and I could sense that she wasn't in a good mood. She was still upset. She had all the time she needed to recover.
"Kitsune, I swear, if you weren't so lucky.."
"Hush, Hiei." I said in amusement. He glared at me. "You never had any patience, did you?"
"Idiot." I rolled my eyes and looked over at Botan, who sat down next to me.
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay." She answered quietly. I nodded and noticed that Hiei had snatched the remote from me. I looked over at him to see him playing with it again. He turned it on and put it on mute. Then he turned the volume all the way up, then all the way down. I rubbed my ears.
"Hiei.." I covered my ears again when he turned it to a channel that didn't come in and the sound of the annoying static filled the room. I snatched it away from him and turned it down. "Stop playing with the volume!"
"Do you honestly think I have anything better to do?" He asked boredly. He threw a pillow at me.
"No, but.. do you have to play with the volume?"
"No, I just do it to annoy you." He said sarcastically. I gave him a blank stare then put it on a channel.
"This is at your level of entertainment." I stopped and noticed that it was playing the most feared show by adults. I hurriedly changed the channel before we got mortified for life. Teletubbies are not healthy. "Maybe we should try this.." I turned it off and sighed. That was much better. Hiei glared at me.
"You seriously have to drop out of school." He got up and went up to my room, probably to find HIS notebook.
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Botan and I sat on a park bench, staying silent and keeping to our thoughts. I fought the urge to ask her if she was okay. I knew what the answer would be. It would be more tears and a no. I chewed my lip thoughtfully, having nothing better to do. If Hiei were here right at this moment, he would suggest that I stop with the silence and get on with what I wanted to ask.
'You're right, Kurama. Stop with the silence.' He formed a link. Nice.
'You always have to nearly scare me to death, don't you?' I asked sarcastically. I could see him smirk.
'Of course I do. Who else would?'
'Certainly you.' I sighed. 'Since you seem to form a link between us whenever you feel the need to, can you help me out here? I'm confused.'
'About what?' He was sort of curious. I don't think he was irritated.
'What to say.'
'Say whatever. I'm going to draw in MY notebook.' I felt the link vanish and I blinked. What a help he was. I leaned back and stared at the ominous gray clouds hovering above us. Rain. I smiled.
"Botan? Do you want to head back to my house?" She shook her head slightly.
"I think I should talk to Keiko. She's probably worried." I nodded.
"I talked to them the day.. you know. Well, she was worried."
"Probably more so now. I'll talk to you tomorrow then." I nodded and watched as she left. I didn't feel like getting up just yet. Suddenly, I felt his presence.
"You honestly had to come and check on me?" I asked in amusement.
"I had nothing to do. I guess I knew she would leave. I mean, you honestly are a boring person."
"You're annoying and irritable."
"That isn't half as bad as being boring." I glared at him.
"Thank you, Hiei. You are such a big help." I was staring up at him. He was sitting on the lowest branch of the tree above my head. His feet were dangling and he was leaning forward slightly, with his arms on his legs.
"I know." He blinked, staring down at me. "And you are not."
"Hiei.." I wanted to laugh. He was seriously in the best mood for arguing with. I loved his mood swings. One minute he's irritated and the next he's calm and emotionless. Much like today.
"You're boring."
"Shut up."
"Make me."
"No."
"Hn."
"Nice answer." He smirked and jumped down. I got up and we began our walk home as I felt the first rain drops fall from the sky.
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That's it for the 9th chapter, people! I'm lovin' you reviewers! You're so nice. I love this fic, as well.
Hasta luego!
-Jess-
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I opened my eyes and yawned. I blinked and felt something next to me. I looked down and smiled. Botan was fast asleep, not crying but looking peaceful. I don't know how long it's going to take her to get over Koenma. I hoped it wouldn't be too long for her sake.
"Isn't this cute?" I heard from the doorway.
"Shut up, Hiei." I grumbled, moving Botan slightly so that I could get up. "Koenma broke it off." He looked down at the diety.
"I figured it would happen sooner or later." He stated, giving me a look. I stared at him blankly. "What are you going to do?"
"Who knows? I figure that I'll comfort her until she gets over her loss." I shrugged and he followed me into the kitchen. I started a pot of coffee. I needed it right now. Tea wasn't strong enough.
"Then?" He sat down in the chair next to me. "You can't tell me you're over it." I didn't answer for a minute. No, I most certainly couldn't say that.
"I'm not." I felt his gaze as I stared at the table. "I don't know."
"You've been saying that a lot lately." He said, resting his arm on the table then putting his head in his hand.
"Yeah." I agreed. I didn't know the answers to the most important questions. It was frustrating. I looked at the clock. 8:54 AM. The breakup was a shock to her system. She needed to get everything back together. I sighed. Today was Saturday.
"You still have a lot to piece together, ne?" I looked up at him.
"Yeah."
"Will you stop saying that?" He was starting to get irritated. I frowned deeper. I looked over at the coffee pot and saw that it was done. I poured both Hiei and I a cup then got out the milk. I let him do his own, but he followed what I did. I took a sip and relished in the warm liquid sliding down my throat.
"What are you going to do today?" I asked, taking another sip. He shrugged and swallowed.
"Some individual training. I guess I could check up on Yukina later on." He said, looking down into his cup. I leaned back more fully in my chair until I heard gentle footsteps on the cold tile floor. I looked up and smiled at Botan.
"Good morning." I greeted her. She smiled slightly and I noticed that she was silently crying. I looked down into my cup and set it down. "Want some coffee?" She shook her head, sat down, and rested her head in her arms, her shoulders shaking. I looked over at Hiei and frowned.
'She is still upset. How long will this last?' He asked through the telepathic link. I shrugged and looked back over at her.
'I suppose it will last a few days. She was so happy before..' I took a drink then stood up. I needed to get dressed for the day. Botan looked up when she heard movement. I smiled down at her and rested my hand on her head.
"You can have a shower this morning, if you want." I said gently. She nodded and stood up. I glanced at Hiei and he nodded once. She followed me up the stairs and I figured that she would need some clothes. She was a bit bigger than Keiko so that was out of the question. I wandered into my room. She should've brought some clothes. I heard the door close downstairs and knew that Hiei left for his early morning training. This was going to be a long day.
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"Do you have any.. clothes I could wear for today?" Botan came into my room in just a towel and I stared at her, wide-eyed.
"H-Hai." I swallowed and walked past her, blushing slightly, to the bed. I showed her some of my smaller outfits. "It may be a little big. I don't think we're going anywhere today, are we?" She shrugged.
"If you don't have anywhere to go." I shook my head.
"We could take a walk over to the park." I went to the door. "Just call me if you need anything." She nodded and I closed the door. I went downstairs and flipped on the TV. I found out one thing. Absolutely nothing was on. She came back down and I noticed that she left her hair down. I gave her a curious look and blinked, tilting my head to the side.
"Do you have a hair brush?" I nodded and pointed to the other coffee table. I noticed that her hands were shaking and that what she wanted to put up was falling out of her hands. I went up behind her and took the things from her hands. I started brushing through her cerulean locks. They didn't have a single knot. I put her hair up and hugged her from behind.
"I'll help you get over it." I whispered softly. Tears were already running down her cheeks. She turned around and buried her head in my chest. She shook uncontrollably.
"Thank you.." I held her and didn't say a word. I stared into the mirror on the wall in front of us. Tears were starting to sting my emerald eyes. I realized that I didn't have a voice anymore. "I couldn't do it alone.."
"I know. That's why I'm here for you. You were there for me.. even after I was rude and cold to you." I felt hot tears running down the sides of my face. This situation made me cry, as well as the pain. How could Koenma break her heart that way? What the hell was wrong with him? I wanted to punch his lights out but violence wasn't going help right now.
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Botan is sleeping again. I was glad that she could rest easily. There wasn't a trace of hurt nor fear on her face so she wasn't having a nightmare. I wondered what was going to happen. It was only noon and I found out she hadn't slept well last night so she was tired. She had stopped crying for atleast an hour. I know one thing, though. I never want to see her in pain ever again. I'll make sure of that. Pain, such as hers, should not be a part of this world. Through this crisis, I have felt closer to her than I ever have before. She is depending on me to be there for her. I am there for her. I always will be, even if she does not love me. I looked down at her and kissed her forehead.
"Please do not let my feelings ruin our friendship." I whispered, leaving my room. She was asleep in my bed so.. I certainly couldn't stay up there.
One hour..
Two hours..
Three hours..
Has three hours passed yet? It seems like it. I've been staring at the TV Guide channel for what seems like hours. No wait.. Only a half-hour. Dammit. The music was driving me insane. I turned off the TV before I mess myself up anymore. The phone started ringing and I picked it up.
"Suuichi!" I heard my okaasan's cheerful voice through the phone. I smiled slightly.
"Hello, okaasan. How was the first night?" I asked, interested.
"It was great. This place is so beautiful. I'm going to buy tons of film so you can see it too. How are you? You sound bored."
"Well.. a lot has happened. Botan is here. Her boyfriend broke up with her so she's really upset. She's sleeping now." I said truthfully. I wasn't going to lie to her.
"Did she just show up today?"
"No, she came here four hours after you left."
"Really? Is she okay? The poor girl." She sounded upset. You have no idea, okaasan.
"I told her that I'll help her get over it. She cried today, as well." I knew that telling her would cause her to ask the question.
"You're such a sweet boy, Suuichi. Do you need me there?"
"No, okaasan. I shall be fine on my own. You needn't worry." I heard her sigh. "Just have fun on your trip."
"Okay. I'll call later to check on you two.. or are you going somewhere?"
"No, we'll be here. I may take her to the park and talk with her. If she is feeling up to it." I looked over at the door when it opened. Hiei came in, all frustrated. That was my favorite mood for him. He was always fun to argue with and get sarcastic remarks from.
"Is that Hiei that came home?" She liked Hiei. She told me before that he was cute and that he was a friend that I shouldn't let away.
"Yes, and he doesn't look like he had a good training day." I grinned at him and he glared at me.
"Well, I'll let you go. I'll talk to you later." We said good-bye and hung up. I watched as Hiei sat down on the opposite side of the couch.
"You look so happy. I think I might celebrate your happiness."
"Idiot."
"That wasn't very nice."
"And I care because?" I stared at him. I wanted to laugh but I didn't want to piss him off more.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Kuwabara and Yukina?"
"At the temple."
"Figures." He glared at me and I shot him a dirty look. "Well, you have to give her her own space. For crying out loud, she doesn't even know you're her brother!" He stared at me with this look.
"I can't tell her. I don't.."
"You're scared of her reaction, aren't you?" He didn't say anything. By the way he looked down, I knew it was the truth. "Listen, Hiei. Just think of how important she is to you. You want her in your life and you want to be in her life, correct? Well, I made the mistake of waiting too long. I don't want you to do that. Tell her." He looked up at me. My eyes widened. His eyes were glazed and watery. I smiled at him. "Don't be afraid of it. Just try."
"I will soon enough." He wouldn't look at me.
"If it's any help, try not to be so happy."
"Shut up." He picked up a pillow and threw it at me. "You annoy me too much for your own good."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were bad for my health." He scowled then started chasing me around the room. I started to laugh at him. Land mine.
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I sighed and watched as she walked down the stairs. Her amethyst eyes looked dim but she wasn't crying. That was a step toward improvement.
"You honestly believe this thing is entertaining?" I turned my head and saw that he was playing with the TV remote. He was flicking through channels and looking disgusted. "This is.. so.." He made a face and didn't continue. I snatched the remote from him and turned the TV off.
"You shouldn't be watching things like that, Hiei." I snickered. "You aren't old enough." He glared at me. Botan had gotten to the living room by then. I smiled at her and I could sense that she wasn't in a good mood. She was still upset. She had all the time she needed to recover.
"Kitsune, I swear, if you weren't so lucky.."
"Hush, Hiei." I said in amusement. He glared at me. "You never had any patience, did you?"
"Idiot." I rolled my eyes and looked over at Botan, who sat down next to me.
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay." She answered quietly. I nodded and noticed that Hiei had snatched the remote from me. I looked over at him to see him playing with it again. He turned it on and put it on mute. Then he turned the volume all the way up, then all the way down. I rubbed my ears.
"Hiei.." I covered my ears again when he turned it to a channel that didn't come in and the sound of the annoying static filled the room. I snatched it away from him and turned it down. "Stop playing with the volume!"
"Do you honestly think I have anything better to do?" He asked boredly. He threw a pillow at me.
"No, but.. do you have to play with the volume?"
"No, I just do it to annoy you." He said sarcastically. I gave him a blank stare then put it on a channel.
"This is at your level of entertainment." I stopped and noticed that it was playing the most feared show by adults. I hurriedly changed the channel before we got mortified for life. Teletubbies are not healthy. "Maybe we should try this.." I turned it off and sighed. That was much better. Hiei glared at me.
"You seriously have to drop out of school." He got up and went up to my room, probably to find HIS notebook.
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Botan and I sat on a park bench, staying silent and keeping to our thoughts. I fought the urge to ask her if she was okay. I knew what the answer would be. It would be more tears and a no. I chewed my lip thoughtfully, having nothing better to do. If Hiei were here right at this moment, he would suggest that I stop with the silence and get on with what I wanted to ask.
'You're right, Kurama. Stop with the silence.' He formed a link. Nice.
'You always have to nearly scare me to death, don't you?' I asked sarcastically. I could see him smirk.
'Of course I do. Who else would?'
'Certainly you.' I sighed. 'Since you seem to form a link between us whenever you feel the need to, can you help me out here? I'm confused.'
'About what?' He was sort of curious. I don't think he was irritated.
'What to say.'
'Say whatever. I'm going to draw in MY notebook.' I felt the link vanish and I blinked. What a help he was. I leaned back and stared at the ominous gray clouds hovering above us. Rain. I smiled.
"Botan? Do you want to head back to my house?" She shook her head slightly.
"I think I should talk to Keiko. She's probably worried." I nodded.
"I talked to them the day.. you know. Well, she was worried."
"Probably more so now. I'll talk to you tomorrow then." I nodded and watched as she left. I didn't feel like getting up just yet. Suddenly, I felt his presence.
"You honestly had to come and check on me?" I asked in amusement.
"I had nothing to do. I guess I knew she would leave. I mean, you honestly are a boring person."
"You're annoying and irritable."
"That isn't half as bad as being boring." I glared at him.
"Thank you, Hiei. You are such a big help." I was staring up at him. He was sitting on the lowest branch of the tree above my head. His feet were dangling and he was leaning forward slightly, with his arms on his legs.
"I know." He blinked, staring down at me. "And you are not."
"Hiei.." I wanted to laugh. He was seriously in the best mood for arguing with. I loved his mood swings. One minute he's irritated and the next he's calm and emotionless. Much like today.
"You're boring."
"Shut up."
"Make me."
"No."
"Hn."
"Nice answer." He smirked and jumped down. I got up and we began our walk home as I felt the first rain drops fall from the sky.
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That's it for the 9th chapter, people! I'm lovin' you reviewers! You're so nice. I love this fic, as well.
Hasta luego!
-Jess-